"^ One of Ledwich's foolish
derivations
of Irish places is to be found, when he tells us, that Cill-le-lua means "the church upon," or "near the water.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Eoghan's son was placed in possession of South Munster, the seat of power being in theCityofCasliel; while,hisuncleCormacCasbecameKingoverNorth Munster,alsoknownasThomond.
AllthegreatMunsterfamiliesofHeber
"< Remarkable are the analogies, as found in the Book of Josue, regarding the division of lands and cities among the Jews, (see chap. xiii. , xiv. , XV. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. ,
xxi. , xxii. , iii. Kings chap, iv. , ii. Esdras. , chap, vii. ), and as met with in the old tribal divisions of Ireland.
"s We need only refer to the Book of Genesis, chap, v. , x. , xi. ; to Exodus vi. ; to Numbers i. , xiii. , xxvi. , xxvii. , xxxii. , xxxiv. ; toi. Paralipomenon i. , ii. , iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , ix. , xi. , xii. ,xiv. , xxiii. , xxiv. , XXV. , xxvi. , xxvii. ; toi. Esdras, ii. , vii. , viii. ,x. ,ii. i'^sdras, xi. ,xii. Likewi>e. in the
records, sufficiently demonstrate. A Dublin writer, and a barrister, Mr. Hamilton, has written a treatise, to prove that the Irish
of New Testament, we have the —
ourLordJesusChrist—through -St. Joseph traced from Abraham, in St. Matt, i. , and
his generation is traced from Hcli, the Jew- ish legal faiher of . St Joseph, back to Adam, in St. l. uke, iii.
"°Nor was this the only custom, common
Yes, sad one of Sion, if closely resem-
bling,
In shame and in—sorrow, thy
wither'd-up heart
If drinking deep, deep, of the same ''
of
cup trembling
genealogy
to the ancient Jews and to the early Irish, as fought A. D. 167. See John O'Donoghue's a careful study and comp;irisonof the Sacred " Historical Memoir of the O'Briens," chap. Scriptures, with the perusal of our historic i. , p. 2.
were originally Jews. This lent inspiration to one of the most noble and significant of Moore's "Irish Melodies," having for its title "The — and the first verse of
which runs
Parallel," :
'*
'''His father Mogh Nuadhat divided Erinn with Conn of the Hundred Battles, but he was killed in the battle of Moylena,
Could make parent thou art. "
us our thy children,
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
Fionn's line trace their pedigrees to one or other of those two personages. "' Now OilioU Ohiim had several sons, and no less than seven of these are said to have been killed, in a celebrated batde, fought at Magh Mucruimhd,"' in the county of Galway. Among these was his eldest son, called Eoghan or
Eugene Mor,'3° from whom, through his son Fiacha Muilleathan, is derived the Eugenian line. '3' His second son, Cormac Cas, was the only one of Oilioll OKiim's children, that survived the battle of Magh Mucruimh6 Ano- ther of his sons, Cian, killed in this batde, left a son, named Tadhg, now ren- dered Teige or Thaddeus. '3" After this great engagement, the old king divided his Munster kingdom into Thomond or North Minister, which he gave to Cormac Cas, and into Desmond or South Munster, which he gave to Fiacha Muilleathain. It is said, too, he left it in his will, that the kingdom of Leath-Mogha, or that half of Ireland south of the Escir Riada, should pass respectively to the reigning princes of Thomond and of Desmond, by what was called " The Law of alternate Succession. " '33 This was a very unwise and unfortunate provision, for it caused perpetual strife, between both lines of in- heritance, and especially, in reference to the sovereignty of Leath-Mogha. The wife of Cormac Cas is said to have been daughter of the celebrated Poet Oisin, or Ossian,'34 the son of Finn Mac Cumhaill, or Fin Mac Cool. At that time, the northern division did not comprise the present county of Clare, which was in occupation of a tribe, belonging to the old Firbolg race. Sub- sequently, his descendant Lughaidh Meann contended with the Firbolgs, and took possession of their territory. Then, attaching it to his patrimony, the whole inheritance was afterwards denominated Tuadh Mhumhain, in modern timesAnglicisedintoThomond,orNorthMunster. TheDalcassians'35are so called, on account of deriving their descent from Cormac Cas,'36 gQ^ to Oilioll Oluim, King of Munster. The O'Briens of Thomond and their corre- latives were the people thus designated. However, there are others who assert, that the Dalcassians were more immediately derived from Cais or Cas,
'=' See M. M'Dermot's " New and Impar-
tial History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. ,
p_ 246.
'=' The date of this engagement is referred
to A. D. 195. See John U'Donoghue's " His- torical Memoirs of the O'Briens," chap, i. ,
p, J. '3°FromhimproceedtheEoganachts,who
occupied the southern parts of Munster, from Magh Feimin, the plain extending from the River Suir to Cashel, on the east, and to mountain of Brandon, in Kerry, on the west. See ibid.
3" The MacCarthys, the O'Callaghans, the O'Sullivans, the O'Keefes, and others, are derived from it.
'3' From him are descended the O'CarroUs of Ely O'Carroll, the O'Reardons, the O'Haras, the O'Garas, &c. , as also several families of EastMeath.
'33 See Daniel MacCarthy (Glas), "His- torical Pedigree of the Sliochd Feidhlimidh,
Ossian. " A new edition, in two 8vo vols. , has been published, in London, 1807. To it is prefixed A Critical Dissertation on the
Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal, by Hugh Blair, D. D. Also, at Edinburgh, A. D.
"
1818, was issued
air an cur amach airson maith coitcheannta muinntirnaGaeltachd,"inan8vo. volume, The authenticity of the originals and transla- tion has been violently contested, and, in
1807, appeared in London, "The Poems of Ossian," in the original Gaelic, with a Uteral translation into Latin, by the late Robert Macfarlan, A. M. Together with a Disser- tation on the authenticity of the Poems, by SirJohnSinclair, Bart. Andatranslation from the Italian of the Abbe Cesarotti's Dis-
sertation on the controversy respecting the authenticity of Ossian, with notes and sup-
pleiv. ental essay, by John M'Arthur, LL. D. , published under the sanction of the Highland Society of London, in three 8vo volumes,
'3= A very interesting account of the
of Gleanncroim, from Cart- hach, twenty-fourth in descent from Oilioll
Olurn to this Day," p. 3.
3< This celebrated Irish Bard has become
famous all the world over, since the publica- tion of the pretended English translation, in I773> °f James Macpherson's "Poems of
the MacCarthys
IJana Oisein Mhic Fhinn,
branches, belonging to this race, will be found "
in Roderick O'Flaherty's
iii. , cap. Ixxxii , Ixxxiii. , pp. 3S6 to 390.
'3' He was the second son of Oilioll Oluim, who is so celebrated, in the pages of Irish history.
Ogygi. ! ," pars.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 28s
the son of Conall Eachluath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds. This Cas had twelve sons,'37 viz. , Bloid, or Bled, Caisin. 's^ Lughaidh,'39 Seadna,'<° ^ngus
Cinnathrach. '^' Carthainn, Cainioch, ^ngus Cinnaitin/'t^ Aedh,'i3 Nae, Loisgenn, and Dealbaeth. '-t* Of these, the eldest son Bloid or Blod is the
great stem of the Dalcassian race, which is directly represented by the O'Briens ; and, he had two sons, who are called Carthinn Finn and Brenan Ban. '-ts The eldest Carthinn Finn had two sons ; one of these was Eochaidh, surnamed Bailldearg, or "of the Red Mole," and the other was Aengus. '*'^ The former was born, during the time, when St. Patrick '" was on his first mission in Munster; while he received baptism and benediction, at the hands of the great Apostle himself. '-t' Thus were the Eugenians and Dal- cassians the two leading tribes of Munster, with distinctive territories ; but, owing to their numbers and to the extent of their possessions, the former line was more powerful. The kingship of Munster was contested, between the chieftains of both families ; but, generally, the Eugenians monopolized pro- vincialrule. However,asanalternaterightofsuccessionwasclaimed,bythe chiefs and people ofThomond, when they had force enough to prevail, they were sometimesrecognised,assuperiorsinMunster. '•9 But,underallcircumstances, the rulers and people of Thomond remained in undisturbed possession of their own patrimonial houses and lands. '5° Thomond, called by the Irish Tuath Mumha, or North Munster, extended from Leim Chonchulainn,'5i now Loop Head,'5^ at the mouth of the River Shannon, to Bealach Mor, Muighe-
Uala,'53 now Ballaghraore, in Upper Ossory ; and, from Sliabh Echtghe, or Slieve Aughty,"S'« a mountainous district, on the frontiers of the counties of Clare and Galway, to Sliabh Eibhlinne, now Slieve Phelim. 'ss in the county
'3' A Poem of forty stanzas, orone hundred
and sixty lines, and relating to them, has
betn ascribed to Mac Liag. It begins with,
t)a mac 0^5 no imti 6 chaj-, or " Twelve
sons that de-^cended from Cas. " See Ed-
ward " Account of O'Reilly's Chronological
nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. txii. There are copies of this Poem, in the Book of Ballymote and of Lecain.
the O'Cormacans, now called Mac Cormacs, the O'Seasnains, now called Sextons, the O'Riadas, now Reidys, &c.
'" See his Life, at the 17th of March, chap. xix.
'»* See "Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 209, 210.
''^ Thus, they were a perfectly inde- pendent tribe, from whom it was not lawful to levy tribute, nor rent, nor pledge, nor hos-
'5* From him descend the Soil Aodha, who
are represented by the MacNamaras, the
O'Gradys, the Mac Flannchadhas, now tage, nor fostership fee ; but, who were
called Clanchys, the O'Caisin^;, &c.
'" From him proceed the Muintir Dobhar-
chon, who are represented by the O Liddys ofClare.
'* Pronounced Shedna, and from him
were the Cinel Sedna, whose representatives appear to be unknown.
'*' TheO'Deasderivetheirdescentfrom him.
«» The O'Quinns and the O'Nechtanns descend from him.
"' From him, the family of O'Hea is de- rived.
'"The Mac Cochlanns ofDealbhna, or Delvin, in the county of Westmealh, and the O'SculIys, descend from him.
"5 The O'Hurleys and O'Maloneys are his descendants. The descendants of the other sons of Bloid are not now distinguish- able.
'" From Aengus, the younger son, are de- rived the O'Comhraidhe, now called Curry,
bound to check aggression on the freedom of CaAhel, against Leth Cuinn, and to supply numerous forces for the maintenance of that freedom. Theywereboundonlytogivere- cognition to the supreme monarch of Ire- land, even when he did not belong to the
south. See CocAoh Jae'oheL Ue 5<sLbAibh, the War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd, pp. 521057.
'5° See Professor Eugene
O'Curry's
" Lec-
tures on the M. nnuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 203 to 228.
'5' Or CuchuUain's Leap, as a local tradi- tion has related.
'5' This is a corruption of Leap Head.
'53 Otherwise called Slighe IJala, or the road leading from the south side of Tara Hill, and extending to the territory of Ossory.
'5' Sometimes called Baughty.
'55 The present Keeper Mountains.
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
of Tipperary. In ancient times, it is thought to have been much more exten- sive,especiallytowardsthesouth. 'ss TheprincipalityofThomondembraced the whole of the present county of Clare ; the parishes of Iniscaltra and Kil- rush, in the county of Galway ; the entire of Ely O'Carroll, in the King's County ; the baronies of Ikerrin, Upper and Lower Ormond, Owney and Arra, and more than the western half of Clanwilliam barony, county of Tip- perary ; the baronies of Owneybeg, Coonagh and Clanwilliam, with the eastern halves of the baronies of Small and Coshlea, in the county of Lime- rick. '5? The southern boundary of this great territory is yet preserved, in that, which forms the diocese of Killaloe. 'ss This ecclesiastical division has
an interesting history and description of its own. '59
At an early period—about the end of the sixth century—a St. Lua,'*° or
Molua,'^' had selected a beautiful site, on the River Shannon, for the erection of
hisreligiousestablishment,withintheancientprincipalityofThomond. The church, or oratory, which he built there, is said to have given name to the con- siderable city, which arose at Killaloe ;'*= and, it is thought to have stood upon an islet, in the River Shannon, where are the ruins of an ecclesiastical pile. '*3 At present, this is called Friar's Island. It lies, about one half mile below Kil- laloe, and about tiiirty-five yards from the land. There a very ancient stone- roofed chapel of very considerable beauty is to be seen. '*'^ This is divided intoanaveandchoir. '^s Itissituated,intheparishofTempleachally,''^in the Barony of Owney and Arra, county of Tipperary. MoUua's oratory, on Friar's Island, is somewhat damaged, yet its main features are easily discern- ible. '*? His disciple, St. Flannan,"'^ succeeded him, and continued to pre- serve there religious institutions then founded, in a high degree of efficiency.
"^ One of Ledwich's foolish derivations of Irish places is to be found, when he tells us, that Cill-le-lua means "the church upon," or "near the water. " He also ignorantly
'5' O'Donovan has written a John
very exhaustive tract, dated Feb. 13th, 1841, "Of the ancient territories ofThomond. "forming
one of the Irish Ordnance Survey Volumes,
preserved in the Royal Irish Academy. He remarks, that St. Molua was " an ideal per- has constructed a large map, with Irish sonage. " See Antiquities of Ireland," p. names of districts and places, to illustrate
his treatise.
"
Annalistic entries are likewise
144-
'3 See Dr. George Petrie's " Ecclesiasti-
appended. '5' See
cal Architecture and Round Towers of Ire-
land," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, p. 281.
'•t There is a small copperplate illustra- tion of this old churcli of Killaloe, and it is represented as being in a tolerably perfect state, in Ledwich's "Antiquities of Ireland,"
p. 147.
•'5 The measurements of this church, and
a picturesque drawing of it, by Du Noyer,
Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey, in 1 84 1. " The Ancient Territories in Thomond, a Tract compiled
by the late Dr. O'Donovan.
'58 See " Leabhar na g Ceart, or the Book
of Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, n. (w), pp. 260,261.
'59 For some particulars, the reader is re- ferred to the Rev. Philip Dwyer's "Diocese of Killaloe from the Reformation to the close
of the Eighteenth Century," chap. i. Intro- ductory, pp. I to 15.
"o Some have thought, he was St. Lua or Molua, of Clonfert-Molua, whose feast oc- curs, at the 4th of August ; while others suppose, he was the St. Moluanus Leprosus, mentioned in Roderick O'Flaherty's " Ogygia," pars, iii. , chap. Ixxxiii. , p. 389.
"' In a notice of Killaloe, no doubt fol- lowing Ledwich, a modern writer very ab- surdly remarks, " whom sober persons have no hesitatio—n in pronouncing a fictitious
" Gazetteer of personage. " Parliamentary
Ireland," vol, ii. , p. 451.
"
formation relative to the Antiquities of the
are to be found, in
Letters containing In-
County of Tipperary, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. ii. A detailed description of this old church, by John O'Donovan, is dated Oct. 13th, 1840, pp. 28 1030.
"* This is shown, on the " Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Tip-
perary," sheets 19, 25, 31.
"'' See Rev. Philip Dwyer's
"
Killaloe from the Reformation to the close
of the Eighteenth Century," with an Appen- dix, chap. i. Introductory, p. 3.
'^ He is regarded, as the patron of Killa- loe Diocese, and his festival is there observed, on the l8th of December,
Diocese of
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 287
He was son to Toirdhealbhach, King of Thomond ; and, it is said, he had been consecrated first bishop of Killaloe, by Pope John IV. , about the year 639. "'9 Thereisaveryinterestingoldstone-roofedchurchthere,immediately to the north of the cathedral, and it is thought to be very probable, that St. Flanan had been the original founder of this curious structure. The nave
alone remains, and in-
it measures
ternally
twenty-nine feet, four inches, in length, by eighteenfeet, in breadth. Some small portions of the chancel exist, and from these, it appears to have been only twelve feet in breadth, nor could it have been of
much greater length. It can hardly be doubted, that this church is as ancient as the time of
BryanBorumha. Avery competent judge '7° has
__. -^^^^^g^^^^=_^
"^"""
'
"""^"^ ^
V%y^
Killaloe Old Charch, Count; of Clare.
building,'? ' with the ex- ception of its orna-
mented door-way, is perfectly identical in
style, with many of the earliest Churches and
Round Towers of Ire-
land. This is called a
Duirtheach, by Mr.
O'Donovan, who mea- sured it on the outside,
to be 36 feet 4 inches, in length, by 25 feet, in
breadth. ''' Thisappears to be the correct ad-
measurement, from the windows, which lighted the apartment, placed above the nave, and within the sloping sides of the roof. The west gable-window has a semi-circular head, while the east gable-window has a triangular or straight-sidedarch. '" Thechancelarchiswhollywithoutornament. Ithas inclined jambs and chamfered imposts. '? * The door-way of this church is ornamented, "'s and there is no good reason to believe, that it is of later date
'•' See Harris' Ware, vol. Killaloe," p. 590.
'• Dr. George Petrie.
i. ,
" of Bishops
found in his admirable work.
'''He gives other details, in "Letters
Conlaining Information relative to the Anti- quities of the County Clare, collected during the Progiess of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. ii. Letter of John O'Donovan, pp. 342, 343.
'" '1 wo clearly-cut wood-ergravings of both windows will be found, in Dr. George Pettie's work.
"'" The accompanying illustration, drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by him transferred to the wood, has been engraved by Mrs. Millard. As this church has lately been restored, some of the details slightly differ from Dr. George Petrie's ad- mirable delineatioD of the western gable, as
remarked,
that this
288 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
than other parts of the building. It is suggested,'? * that St Flannan may have been familiar with the style of the Roman Churches, and that he may have imitated, to some extent, their ornamental features. ''7 Mosses, ferns, and shrubs have inserted their roots between the interstices of the stone roof; but, they add even to the picturesqueness of the structure.
It seems a matter of difficulty to determine that year, when the birth of
Bryantookplace. ''^ WhiletheAnnalsofInisfallen,'wandthoseoftheFour
Masters state, a. d. 925, for his nativity,'*" those of Ulster have a. d. 941,'*'
which Dr. O'Donovan deems more likely to have been the true date. '*'
Whichsoever calculation we accept, it seems evident, this younger son »^3
could not have long remained, under the care of his father, whose death is
found recorded, and without distinctive eulogy, at a. d. 942, when Ceallachan
of Caiseal gained the victory over Ceinneidigh, son of Lorcan, at Maghduin,
or Moydown. How long, or if at all, Beibhionn survived her husband, does
not appear, from any existing record, with which we are acquainted. In the
latter part of the sixth century, a religious establishment had been founded,
at Inis Faithlenn, on Loch Lene, now better known as Inisfallen Island, on
the Lakes of Killarney, in the county of Kerry, by St. Finian Lobhar,'*'i or by
St. Finan Cam j'^s and, here, for centuries afterwards, a monastery and school
appear to have flourished. In the ninth century lived Maelsuthain O'Cearb-
haill,'** chief of the Eoganacht or Eugenian tribes, belonging to the territory
of Loch Lene. It seems probable, that his early education had been received,
at Inisfallen; and, towards the close of his days, after an eventful life, we
find him among the inmates. He was a man of great learning, being regarded
as the chief Saoi, or Doctor, of the western church. It has been supposed,
thatBryanwaseducatedbyhim,ontheIslandofInnisfallenj'^' but,ifthe
subject of our biography received his training there, it seems more probable, that he was rather the school-fellow of Maelsuthain, which would fully account
fortheintimatefriendship,existingbetweenboth,inafterlife. Thedeathof
'^' caused the elevation of his son or Mahon, to Mathghamhain,
Cenedigh
the kingship or chieftaincy of Thomond, about a. d. 951. '*' About a mile,
'7< It measures in height, eight feet, six inches, from the floor, to the vertex of the arch ; and, in breadth, about four feet, six inclies, immediately below the imposts.
'spr. Petriegiveiabeautifulandan enlarged illustration of it, with the capital of the pillar on the north side, presenting a rude imitation of the Ionic scroll, while that on the south side presents two figures of animals resem-
Irish prosperity, as noticed in Rev. Dr.
O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scripto-
res," tome ii. , p. 39,
lambs. The architrave exhibits none of the ornaments, which are considered characteristic of Norman architecture.
'^^
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annalsofthe Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (0), p. 747.
"3 By Eugene O'Curry, he is called the
bling
'? ' See Dr. George Petrie's Ecclesiasti- cal Architecture and Round Towers of Ire- land," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, pp. 277 to 281.
'" That he had the means for doing so ap-
Lectures on
from Sir James Ware's statement, that
—
name had endowed his church at Killaloe, with many estates, and dying full of years, he was interred in this church, by his son, St.
Flannan.
'' In Richard " Hiber- Ryan's Biographia
nica " his birth is computed to have fallen out in the year 926. See vol. i. , p. 114.
»? 9 See the Dublin Codex, where, by way of encomium, he is called the only defender of
pears
his father Theodoric another
form of the
'*°
See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. ii. ,
pp. 6l6, 617, and n. (t), ibid.
'*' " At DCCCCXL. , al xli. ,
Nati. tas'Briain Annales Ultonienses. " See Rev. Dr. Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum
"—" Scriptores," tome ii. , p. 264.
mc Cenntig.
""
second son of Kennedy. See
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , p. 211.
"'* See his Life, given in the previous volume, at the l6th of March,
'*5 His Life may be seen, at the yth of
April.
'" Pronounced Maelsoohan O'Carroll.
'°' See Eugene O'Curry's "Lectures on
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish
History," Lect. iv. , pp. 75, 76.
'TM His death is placed at a. d. 950, in
"Annates Ultonienses. " See Dr. O'Conor's
"
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tome
iv. , p. 270.
'^9 See John O'Donoghue's " Historical
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 289
north-west of Killaloe, in the present county of Clare, arose the ancestral re- sidence of this prince, known as Grianan Lachtna,'9° on the south shoulder of the hill of Craig Liath,'? ' and some traces of this ancient fortification yet re- main. '9^ It may have been the case, that this ray-fortress was built by Laclitna, since it was called after him. Probably, it may have been the residence of his descendants, likewise, down to the time of our hero, who seems to have been born either there, or at Borumh,'93 which stood in the neighbourhood of Ceann Coradh, or Kincora, near Killaloe, and where, it is so well known, he chose in after years to fix his chief dwelling-place. How- ever, the erection of this fortress has also been ascribed to himself. ''*
The most careful attention must have been bestowed, by his parents and tutors, on the infancy and childhood of Bryan. H—is dispositions were happily
—
virtues were of a noble and generous quality, while his education was not
moulded ; his piety
of no ascetic cast however
wassolidandsincere his ;
neglected . Liberal studies occupied aconsiderable portion of his youthful career ; and, in all manly exercises, he contended for the palm, among the sons of chief- tains. Literature and politics formed the basis on which his instruction was grounded, but to warlike pursuits he was also addicted. '95 His enterprising geniusandwarlikespiritwereeminentlyconspicuous,eveninearlylife. His ardent temperament, and character for great courage, were emulated by the bravest and most adventurous, among the Dalcassian yoirths of Munster. They admired his activity of body, and his natural intrepidity of soul ; while his morals excited popular reverence, and an universal expectation ofa good, no less than of a glorious, career. The influence of such companionship quickly led to numerous bold and adventurous exploits, in an age, when tur- bulence and disorder often called forth deeds of the most heroic daring.
The Danes were constantly engaged, in harassing the people of Thomond, at this time; while Mahon and Bryan were obliged to defend their principality,
byforceandstratagem. '»* Theforeignersseemtohavemadeseverallodgments, instrongplaces,throughoutThomond. 's' Bryan'sfirstessaysinactualcon- flict were important enough, to induce confidence in his military qualities, and to raise his character, among the clansmen and chiefs of his principality. His
reputation for coolness in danger, for tried valour, and for prudent conduct, quickly prepared and opened the way for exercising command, at first, in a subordinate, but soon, in a higher, capacity. After Mahon had ascended the throne of Munster, his active military career was signalized by a battle, fought at Lake Gur, in which he obtained a signal victory over the Danes of Water-
Memoirs of the O'Briens," cliap. ii. , p. 12. "'" This place probably had its name, from its sonny and souihem aspect, on an elevated site, and because it was the royal residence
of Laciitna, the great grandfather of Bryan.
"< Remarkable are the analogies, as found in the Book of Josue, regarding the division of lands and cities among the Jews, (see chap. xiii. , xiv. , XV. , xvi. , xvii. , xviii. , xix. , xx. ,
xxi. , xxii. , iii. Kings chap, iv. , ii. Esdras. , chap, vii. ), and as met with in the old tribal divisions of Ireland.
"s We need only refer to the Book of Genesis, chap, v. , x. , xi. ; to Exodus vi. ; to Numbers i. , xiii. , xxvi. , xxvii. , xxxii. , xxxiv. ; toi. Paralipomenon i. , ii. , iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , ix. , xi. , xii. ,xiv. , xxiii. , xxiv. , XXV. , xxvi. , xxvii. ; toi. Esdras, ii. , vii. , viii. ,x. ,ii. i'^sdras, xi. ,xii. Likewi>e. in the
records, sufficiently demonstrate. A Dublin writer, and a barrister, Mr. Hamilton, has written a treatise, to prove that the Irish
of New Testament, we have the —
ourLordJesusChrist—through -St. Joseph traced from Abraham, in St. Matt, i. , and
his generation is traced from Hcli, the Jew- ish legal faiher of . St Joseph, back to Adam, in St. l. uke, iii.
"°Nor was this the only custom, common
Yes, sad one of Sion, if closely resem-
bling,
In shame and in—sorrow, thy
wither'd-up heart
If drinking deep, deep, of the same ''
of
cup trembling
genealogy
to the ancient Jews and to the early Irish, as fought A. D. 167. See John O'Donoghue's a careful study and comp;irisonof the Sacred " Historical Memoir of the O'Briens," chap. Scriptures, with the perusal of our historic i. , p. 2.
were originally Jews. This lent inspiration to one of the most noble and significant of Moore's "Irish Melodies," having for its title "The — and the first verse of
which runs
Parallel," :
'*
'''His father Mogh Nuadhat divided Erinn with Conn of the Hundred Battles, but he was killed in the battle of Moylena,
Could make parent thou art. "
us our thy children,
284 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
Fionn's line trace their pedigrees to one or other of those two personages. "' Now OilioU Ohiim had several sons, and no less than seven of these are said to have been killed, in a celebrated batde, fought at Magh Mucruimhd,"' in the county of Galway. Among these was his eldest son, called Eoghan or
Eugene Mor,'3° from whom, through his son Fiacha Muilleathan, is derived the Eugenian line. '3' His second son, Cormac Cas, was the only one of Oilioll OKiim's children, that survived the battle of Magh Mucruimh6 Ano- ther of his sons, Cian, killed in this batde, left a son, named Tadhg, now ren- dered Teige or Thaddeus. '3" After this great engagement, the old king divided his Munster kingdom into Thomond or North Minister, which he gave to Cormac Cas, and into Desmond or South Munster, which he gave to Fiacha Muilleathain. It is said, too, he left it in his will, that the kingdom of Leath-Mogha, or that half of Ireland south of the Escir Riada, should pass respectively to the reigning princes of Thomond and of Desmond, by what was called " The Law of alternate Succession. " '33 This was a very unwise and unfortunate provision, for it caused perpetual strife, between both lines of in- heritance, and especially, in reference to the sovereignty of Leath-Mogha. The wife of Cormac Cas is said to have been daughter of the celebrated Poet Oisin, or Ossian,'34 the son of Finn Mac Cumhaill, or Fin Mac Cool. At that time, the northern division did not comprise the present county of Clare, which was in occupation of a tribe, belonging to the old Firbolg race. Sub- sequently, his descendant Lughaidh Meann contended with the Firbolgs, and took possession of their territory. Then, attaching it to his patrimony, the whole inheritance was afterwards denominated Tuadh Mhumhain, in modern timesAnglicisedintoThomond,orNorthMunster. TheDalcassians'35are so called, on account of deriving their descent from Cormac Cas,'36 gQ^ to Oilioll Oluim, King of Munster. The O'Briens of Thomond and their corre- latives were the people thus designated. However, there are others who assert, that the Dalcassians were more immediately derived from Cais or Cas,
'=' See M. M'Dermot's " New and Impar-
tial History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. ,
p_ 246.
'=' The date of this engagement is referred
to A. D. 195. See John U'Donoghue's " His- torical Memoirs of the O'Briens," chap, i. ,
p, J. '3°FromhimproceedtheEoganachts,who
occupied the southern parts of Munster, from Magh Feimin, the plain extending from the River Suir to Cashel, on the east, and to mountain of Brandon, in Kerry, on the west. See ibid.
3" The MacCarthys, the O'Callaghans, the O'Sullivans, the O'Keefes, and others, are derived from it.
'3' From him are descended the O'CarroUs of Ely O'Carroll, the O'Reardons, the O'Haras, the O'Garas, &c. , as also several families of EastMeath.
'33 See Daniel MacCarthy (Glas), "His- torical Pedigree of the Sliochd Feidhlimidh,
Ossian. " A new edition, in two 8vo vols. , has been published, in London, 1807. To it is prefixed A Critical Dissertation on the
Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal, by Hugh Blair, D. D. Also, at Edinburgh, A. D.
"
1818, was issued
air an cur amach airson maith coitcheannta muinntirnaGaeltachd,"inan8vo. volume, The authenticity of the originals and transla- tion has been violently contested, and, in
1807, appeared in London, "The Poems of Ossian," in the original Gaelic, with a Uteral translation into Latin, by the late Robert Macfarlan, A. M. Together with a Disser- tation on the authenticity of the Poems, by SirJohnSinclair, Bart. Andatranslation from the Italian of the Abbe Cesarotti's Dis-
sertation on the controversy respecting the authenticity of Ossian, with notes and sup-
pleiv. ental essay, by John M'Arthur, LL. D. , published under the sanction of the Highland Society of London, in three 8vo volumes,
'3= A very interesting account of the
of Gleanncroim, from Cart- hach, twenty-fourth in descent from Oilioll
Olurn to this Day," p. 3.
3< This celebrated Irish Bard has become
famous all the world over, since the publica- tion of the pretended English translation, in I773> °f James Macpherson's "Poems of
the MacCarthys
IJana Oisein Mhic Fhinn,
branches, belonging to this race, will be found "
in Roderick O'Flaherty's
iii. , cap. Ixxxii , Ixxxiii. , pp. 3S6 to 390.
'3' He was the second son of Oilioll Oluim, who is so celebrated, in the pages of Irish history.
Ogygi. ! ," pars.
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 28s
the son of Conall Eachluath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds. This Cas had twelve sons,'37 viz. , Bloid, or Bled, Caisin. 's^ Lughaidh,'39 Seadna,'<° ^ngus
Cinnathrach. '^' Carthainn, Cainioch, ^ngus Cinnaitin/'t^ Aedh,'i3 Nae, Loisgenn, and Dealbaeth. '-t* Of these, the eldest son Bloid or Blod is the
great stem of the Dalcassian race, which is directly represented by the O'Briens ; and, he had two sons, who are called Carthinn Finn and Brenan Ban. '-ts The eldest Carthinn Finn had two sons ; one of these was Eochaidh, surnamed Bailldearg, or "of the Red Mole," and the other was Aengus. '*'^ The former was born, during the time, when St. Patrick '" was on his first mission in Munster; while he received baptism and benediction, at the hands of the great Apostle himself. '-t' Thus were the Eugenians and Dal- cassians the two leading tribes of Munster, with distinctive territories ; but, owing to their numbers and to the extent of their possessions, the former line was more powerful. The kingship of Munster was contested, between the chieftains of both families ; but, generally, the Eugenians monopolized pro- vincialrule. However,asanalternaterightofsuccessionwasclaimed,bythe chiefs and people ofThomond, when they had force enough to prevail, they were sometimesrecognised,assuperiorsinMunster. '•9 But,underallcircumstances, the rulers and people of Thomond remained in undisturbed possession of their own patrimonial houses and lands. '5° Thomond, called by the Irish Tuath Mumha, or North Munster, extended from Leim Chonchulainn,'5i now Loop Head,'5^ at the mouth of the River Shannon, to Bealach Mor, Muighe-
Uala,'53 now Ballaghraore, in Upper Ossory ; and, from Sliabh Echtghe, or Slieve Aughty,"S'« a mountainous district, on the frontiers of the counties of Clare and Galway, to Sliabh Eibhlinne, now Slieve Phelim. 'ss in the county
'3' A Poem of forty stanzas, orone hundred
and sixty lines, and relating to them, has
betn ascribed to Mac Liag. It begins with,
t)a mac 0^5 no imti 6 chaj-, or " Twelve
sons that de-^cended from Cas. " See Ed-
ward " Account of O'Reilly's Chronological
nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. txii. There are copies of this Poem, in the Book of Ballymote and of Lecain.
the O'Cormacans, now called Mac Cormacs, the O'Seasnains, now called Sextons, the O'Riadas, now Reidys, &c.
'" See his Life, at the 17th of March, chap. xix.
'»* See "Lectures on Eugene O'Curry's
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 209, 210.
''^ Thus, they were a perfectly inde- pendent tribe, from whom it was not lawful to levy tribute, nor rent, nor pledge, nor hos-
'5* From him descend the Soil Aodha, who
are represented by the MacNamaras, the
O'Gradys, the Mac Flannchadhas, now tage, nor fostership fee ; but, who were
called Clanchys, the O'Caisin^;, &c.
'" From him proceed the Muintir Dobhar-
chon, who are represented by the O Liddys ofClare.
'* Pronounced Shedna, and from him
were the Cinel Sedna, whose representatives appear to be unknown.
'*' TheO'Deasderivetheirdescentfrom him.
«» The O'Quinns and the O'Nechtanns descend from him.
"' From him, the family of O'Hea is de- rived.
'"The Mac Cochlanns ofDealbhna, or Delvin, in the county of Westmealh, and the O'SculIys, descend from him.
"5 The O'Hurleys and O'Maloneys are his descendants. The descendants of the other sons of Bloid are not now distinguish- able.
'" From Aengus, the younger son, are de- rived the O'Comhraidhe, now called Curry,
bound to check aggression on the freedom of CaAhel, against Leth Cuinn, and to supply numerous forces for the maintenance of that freedom. Theywereboundonlytogivere- cognition to the supreme monarch of Ire- land, even when he did not belong to the
south. See CocAoh Jae'oheL Ue 5<sLbAibh, the War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, edited by the Rev. James Henthorn Todd, pp. 521057.
'5° See Professor Eugene
O'Curry's
" Lec-
tures on the M. nnuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. x. , pp. 203 to 228.
'5' Or CuchuUain's Leap, as a local tradi- tion has related.
'5' This is a corruption of Leap Head.
'53 Otherwise called Slighe IJala, or the road leading from the south side of Tara Hill, and extending to the territory of Ossory.
'5' Sometimes called Baughty.
'55 The present Keeper Mountains.
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
of Tipperary. In ancient times, it is thought to have been much more exten- sive,especiallytowardsthesouth. 'ss TheprincipalityofThomondembraced the whole of the present county of Clare ; the parishes of Iniscaltra and Kil- rush, in the county of Galway ; the entire of Ely O'Carroll, in the King's County ; the baronies of Ikerrin, Upper and Lower Ormond, Owney and Arra, and more than the western half of Clanwilliam barony, county of Tip- perary ; the baronies of Owneybeg, Coonagh and Clanwilliam, with the eastern halves of the baronies of Small and Coshlea, in the county of Lime- rick. '5? The southern boundary of this great territory is yet preserved, in that, which forms the diocese of Killaloe. 'ss This ecclesiastical division has
an interesting history and description of its own. '59
At an early period—about the end of the sixth century—a St. Lua,'*° or
Molua,'^' had selected a beautiful site, on the River Shannon, for the erection of
hisreligiousestablishment,withintheancientprincipalityofThomond. The church, or oratory, which he built there, is said to have given name to the con- siderable city, which arose at Killaloe ;'*= and, it is thought to have stood upon an islet, in the River Shannon, where are the ruins of an ecclesiastical pile. '*3 At present, this is called Friar's Island. It lies, about one half mile below Kil- laloe, and about tiiirty-five yards from the land. There a very ancient stone- roofed chapel of very considerable beauty is to be seen. '*'^ This is divided intoanaveandchoir. '^s Itissituated,intheparishofTempleachally,''^in the Barony of Owney and Arra, county of Tipperary. MoUua's oratory, on Friar's Island, is somewhat damaged, yet its main features are easily discern- ible. '*? His disciple, St. Flannan,"'^ succeeded him, and continued to pre- serve there religious institutions then founded, in a high degree of efficiency.
"^ One of Ledwich's foolish derivations of Irish places is to be found, when he tells us, that Cill-le-lua means "the church upon," or "near the water. " He also ignorantly
'5' O'Donovan has written a John
very exhaustive tract, dated Feb. 13th, 1841, "Of the ancient territories ofThomond. "forming
one of the Irish Ordnance Survey Volumes,
preserved in the Royal Irish Academy. He remarks, that St. Molua was " an ideal per- has constructed a large map, with Irish sonage. " See Antiquities of Ireland," p. names of districts and places, to illustrate
his treatise.
"
Annalistic entries are likewise
144-
'3 See Dr. George Petrie's " Ecclesiasti-
appended. '5' See
cal Architecture and Round Towers of Ire-
land," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, p. 281.
'•t There is a small copperplate illustra- tion of this old churcli of Killaloe, and it is represented as being in a tolerably perfect state, in Ledwich's "Antiquities of Ireland,"
p. 147.
•'5 The measurements of this church, and
a picturesque drawing of it, by Du Noyer,
Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey, in 1 84 1. " The Ancient Territories in Thomond, a Tract compiled
by the late Dr. O'Donovan.
'58 See " Leabhar na g Ceart, or the Book
of Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, n. (w), pp. 260,261.
'59 For some particulars, the reader is re- ferred to the Rev. Philip Dwyer's "Diocese of Killaloe from the Reformation to the close
of the Eighteenth Century," chap. i. Intro- ductory, pp. I to 15.
"o Some have thought, he was St. Lua or Molua, of Clonfert-Molua, whose feast oc- curs, at the 4th of August ; while others suppose, he was the St. Moluanus Leprosus, mentioned in Roderick O'Flaherty's " Ogygia," pars, iii. , chap. Ixxxiii. , p. 389.
"' In a notice of Killaloe, no doubt fol- lowing Ledwich, a modern writer very ab- surdly remarks, " whom sober persons have no hesitatio—n in pronouncing a fictitious
" Gazetteer of personage. " Parliamentary
Ireland," vol, ii. , p. 451.
"
formation relative to the Antiquities of the
are to be found, in
Letters containing In-
County of Tipperary, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. ii. A detailed description of this old church, by John O'Donovan, is dated Oct. 13th, 1840, pp. 28 1030.
"* This is shown, on the " Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Tip-
perary," sheets 19, 25, 31.
"'' See Rev. Philip Dwyer's
"
Killaloe from the Reformation to the close
of the Eighteenth Century," with an Appen- dix, chap. i. Introductory, p. 3.
'^ He is regarded, as the patron of Killa- loe Diocese, and his festival is there observed, on the l8th of December,
Diocese of
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 287
He was son to Toirdhealbhach, King of Thomond ; and, it is said, he had been consecrated first bishop of Killaloe, by Pope John IV. , about the year 639. "'9 Thereisaveryinterestingoldstone-roofedchurchthere,immediately to the north of the cathedral, and it is thought to be very probable, that St. Flanan had been the original founder of this curious structure. The nave
alone remains, and in-
it measures
ternally
twenty-nine feet, four inches, in length, by eighteenfeet, in breadth. Some small portions of the chancel exist, and from these, it appears to have been only twelve feet in breadth, nor could it have been of
much greater length. It can hardly be doubted, that this church is as ancient as the time of
BryanBorumha. Avery competent judge '7° has
__. -^^^^^g^^^^=_^
"^"""
'
"""^"^ ^
V%y^
Killaloe Old Charch, Count; of Clare.
building,'? ' with the ex- ception of its orna-
mented door-way, is perfectly identical in
style, with many of the earliest Churches and
Round Towers of Ire-
land. This is called a
Duirtheach, by Mr.
O'Donovan, who mea- sured it on the outside,
to be 36 feet 4 inches, in length, by 25 feet, in
breadth. ''' Thisappears to be the correct ad-
measurement, from the windows, which lighted the apartment, placed above the nave, and within the sloping sides of the roof. The west gable-window has a semi-circular head, while the east gable-window has a triangular or straight-sidedarch. '" Thechancelarchiswhollywithoutornament. Ithas inclined jambs and chamfered imposts. '? * The door-way of this church is ornamented, "'s and there is no good reason to believe, that it is of later date
'•' See Harris' Ware, vol. Killaloe," p. 590.
'• Dr. George Petrie.
i. ,
" of Bishops
found in his admirable work.
'''He gives other details, in "Letters
Conlaining Information relative to the Anti- quities of the County Clare, collected during the Progiess of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. ii. Letter of John O'Donovan, pp. 342, 343.
'" '1 wo clearly-cut wood-ergravings of both windows will be found, in Dr. George Pettie's work.
"'" The accompanying illustration, drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by him transferred to the wood, has been engraved by Mrs. Millard. As this church has lately been restored, some of the details slightly differ from Dr. George Petrie's ad- mirable delineatioD of the western gable, as
remarked,
that this
288 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
than other parts of the building. It is suggested,'? * that St Flannan may have been familiar with the style of the Roman Churches, and that he may have imitated, to some extent, their ornamental features. ''7 Mosses, ferns, and shrubs have inserted their roots between the interstices of the stone roof; but, they add even to the picturesqueness of the structure.
It seems a matter of difficulty to determine that year, when the birth of
Bryantookplace. ''^ WhiletheAnnalsofInisfallen,'wandthoseoftheFour
Masters state, a. d. 925, for his nativity,'*" those of Ulster have a. d. 941,'*'
which Dr. O'Donovan deems more likely to have been the true date. '*'
Whichsoever calculation we accept, it seems evident, this younger son »^3
could not have long remained, under the care of his father, whose death is
found recorded, and without distinctive eulogy, at a. d. 942, when Ceallachan
of Caiseal gained the victory over Ceinneidigh, son of Lorcan, at Maghduin,
or Moydown. How long, or if at all, Beibhionn survived her husband, does
not appear, from any existing record, with which we are acquainted. In the
latter part of the sixth century, a religious establishment had been founded,
at Inis Faithlenn, on Loch Lene, now better known as Inisfallen Island, on
the Lakes of Killarney, in the county of Kerry, by St. Finian Lobhar,'*'i or by
St. Finan Cam j'^s and, here, for centuries afterwards, a monastery and school
appear to have flourished. In the ninth century lived Maelsuthain O'Cearb-
haill,'** chief of the Eoganacht or Eugenian tribes, belonging to the territory
of Loch Lene. It seems probable, that his early education had been received,
at Inisfallen; and, towards the close of his days, after an eventful life, we
find him among the inmates. He was a man of great learning, being regarded
as the chief Saoi, or Doctor, of the western church. It has been supposed,
thatBryanwaseducatedbyhim,ontheIslandofInnisfallenj'^' but,ifthe
subject of our biography received his training there, it seems more probable, that he was rather the school-fellow of Maelsuthain, which would fully account
fortheintimatefriendship,existingbetweenboth,inafterlife. Thedeathof
'^' caused the elevation of his son or Mahon, to Mathghamhain,
Cenedigh
the kingship or chieftaincy of Thomond, about a. d. 951. '*' About a mile,
'7< It measures in height, eight feet, six inches, from the floor, to the vertex of the arch ; and, in breadth, about four feet, six inclies, immediately below the imposts.
'spr. Petriegiveiabeautifulandan enlarged illustration of it, with the capital of the pillar on the north side, presenting a rude imitation of the Ionic scroll, while that on the south side presents two figures of animals resem-
Irish prosperity, as noticed in Rev. Dr.
O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scripto-
res," tome ii. , p. 39,
lambs. The architrave exhibits none of the ornaments, which are considered characteristic of Norman architecture.
'^^
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annalsofthe Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (0), p. 747.
"3 By Eugene O'Curry, he is called the
bling
'? ' See Dr. George Petrie's Ecclesiasti- cal Architecture and Round Towers of Ire- land," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, pp. 277 to 281.
'" That he had the means for doing so ap-
Lectures on
from Sir James Ware's statement, that
—
name had endowed his church at Killaloe, with many estates, and dying full of years, he was interred in this church, by his son, St.
Flannan.
'' In Richard " Hiber- Ryan's Biographia
nica " his birth is computed to have fallen out in the year 926. See vol. i. , p. 114.
»? 9 See the Dublin Codex, where, by way of encomium, he is called the only defender of
pears
his father Theodoric another
form of the
'*°
See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. ii. ,
pp. 6l6, 617, and n. (t), ibid.
'*' " At DCCCCXL. , al xli. ,
Nati. tas'Briain Annales Ultonienses. " See Rev. Dr. Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum
"—" Scriptores," tome ii. , p. 264.
mc Cenntig.
""
second son of Kennedy. See
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. x. , p. 211.
"'* See his Life, given in the previous volume, at the l6th of March,
'*5 His Life may be seen, at the yth of
April.
'" Pronounced Maelsoohan O'Carroll.
'°' See Eugene O'Curry's "Lectures on
the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish
History," Lect. iv. , pp. 75, 76.
'TM His death is placed at a. d. 950, in
"Annates Ultonienses. " See Dr. O'Conor's
"
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tome
iv. , p. 270.
'^9 See John O'Donoghue's " Historical
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 289
north-west of Killaloe, in the present county of Clare, arose the ancestral re- sidence of this prince, known as Grianan Lachtna,'9° on the south shoulder of the hill of Craig Liath,'? ' and some traces of this ancient fortification yet re- main. '9^ It may have been the case, that this ray-fortress was built by Laclitna, since it was called after him. Probably, it may have been the residence of his descendants, likewise, down to the time of our hero, who seems to have been born either there, or at Borumh,'93 which stood in the neighbourhood of Ceann Coradh, or Kincora, near Killaloe, and where, it is so well known, he chose in after years to fix his chief dwelling-place. How- ever, the erection of this fortress has also been ascribed to himself. ''*
The most careful attention must have been bestowed, by his parents and tutors, on the infancy and childhood of Bryan. H—is dispositions were happily
—
virtues were of a noble and generous quality, while his education was not
moulded ; his piety
of no ascetic cast however
wassolidandsincere his ;
neglected . Liberal studies occupied aconsiderable portion of his youthful career ; and, in all manly exercises, he contended for the palm, among the sons of chief- tains. Literature and politics formed the basis on which his instruction was grounded, but to warlike pursuits he was also addicted. '95 His enterprising geniusandwarlikespiritwereeminentlyconspicuous,eveninearlylife. His ardent temperament, and character for great courage, were emulated by the bravest and most adventurous, among the Dalcassian yoirths of Munster. They admired his activity of body, and his natural intrepidity of soul ; while his morals excited popular reverence, and an universal expectation ofa good, no less than of a glorious, career. The influence of such companionship quickly led to numerous bold and adventurous exploits, in an age, when tur- bulence and disorder often called forth deeds of the most heroic daring.
The Danes were constantly engaged, in harassing the people of Thomond, at this time; while Mahon and Bryan were obliged to defend their principality,
byforceandstratagem. '»* Theforeignersseemtohavemadeseverallodgments, instrongplaces,throughoutThomond. 's' Bryan'sfirstessaysinactualcon- flict were important enough, to induce confidence in his military qualities, and to raise his character, among the clansmen and chiefs of his principality. His
reputation for coolness in danger, for tried valour, and for prudent conduct, quickly prepared and opened the way for exercising command, at first, in a subordinate, but soon, in a higher, capacity. After Mahon had ascended the throne of Munster, his active military career was signalized by a battle, fought at Lake Gur, in which he obtained a signal victory over the Danes of Water-
Memoirs of the O'Briens," cliap. ii. , p. 12. "'" This place probably had its name, from its sonny and souihem aspect, on an elevated site, and because it was the royal residence
of Laciitna, the great grandfather of Bryan.
